Corn-popping machine.



N, B. POST.

CORN POPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man Nov. 19.1914.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

N. B. POST.

CO'RN POPPING MACHINE. 'APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19.1914.

1,251,279. Patented Dec. 25,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Jaya

N. B. POST.

CORN FOPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man Nov. I9. 1914.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

N. B. POST.

CORN POPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man Nov. 19,1914.

1,25 1,279. l Patented Dec. 25,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

El)` STAI FATE T OFFICE.

IrTAlElAlll'IIELA B. POST, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO POST MACHINE 00.,.0! CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

CORN-POPPING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25,1917.

Application led November 19, .1914. Serial No. 873,027.

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Popping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to corn popping Ina,- chines and the object yof this improvement is to provide a simple and effective device of the character mentioned which is adapted to ,display the corn during theprocess of popplng.

Other ob]ects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which, Y

Figure 1 is a plan View of a corn popping machine embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same,

Fig. 3 is a central transverse section of the same,

Fig. i is a section taken on line 4--4 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a fragmental elevation of a portion of the upper side of 'the machine,

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section taken on line 7 7 in Fig. 5, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmental section ofthe feeding mechanism.

My device is designed so that a number of popping elements may be incorporated in one case, and operated either independently or together. In the form shown, l have embodied two separate popping elements, and when so desired, may use more or less than two popping elements, as will be readily understood. Both of the popping elements are similar in form and construction, and a description of one will suiiice for both. The device consists of a case 8 of any desired shape and size and is preferably made up having plate glass sides in order to eX-pose the mechanism of the device and display the corn during the process of popping. The top 9 of the device is preferably of metal and provided with bosses 10 on its under side. Secured in the bosses 1() are a plurality of depending rod supports 11. On said rod supports 11 is supported a popping plate 12, the popping plate having ears 13, see Fig. 1, which are adjustably ksecured to the rods in order to support the popping plate in fixed position. Since the popping plate is stationary or fixed in position it can be readily provided with an electrical-heating coil as shown. This method of heating the plate is preferred because it is less dangerous than gas or the like, although gas may be used by placing a-sultable burner under the plate, if desired.

On the upper side of top 9 of the casing are provided bearings 14 supporting a main driving shaft 15, the latter being driven by a belt 16 connected with a suitable source of power, not shown. On the shaft 15 is iixed a bevel gear 17 meshing with `a second bevel gea-r 18, the latter being liXed l'on a shaft 19 which extends downwardly, and has its lower end journaled in a suitable recess 20 in the popping plate. Secured on the lower end portion of shaft 19 is a conically shaped hub 21 having a pin connection with` shaft 19. Secured to the bottom of hub 21 are agitator fingers 22, the latter being secured to hub 21 by means of rivets, or their equivalent. The fingers 22 are disposed in lines, substantially tangent to said hub, or in lines extending rearward of radiating lines from said hub, the particular position of the fingers being adapted to facilitate removing corn from the popping plate yduring the process of removing the lpopped corn from said plate 12. The ends of the lingers.

22 extend over the lateral edge of popping plate 12 in order to be sure to remove the corn from the edges of such plate during the process of emptying said plate.

Mounted above plate 12 is a cover 23 having its hub 24 slidably mounted on shaft 19. The top of cover 23 is provided with lateral flanges 25 which rest on' arms 26 adjustably secured to supporting rods 11 in order to support the cover in its lower position. The arms 26 are so spaced on rods 11 that the lower edge of cover 23 will be suiiiciently high from plate 12 to permit ofthe operation of the lingers 22 between said plate and cover. The cover is spaced suiciently low to prevent corn from passing between the plate and cover, as will be readily understood. Secured to the hub 24 of said cover and extending upwardly through the top 9 are,two connecting links 27 which are connected at their top ends with a lever 28, the latter being pivoted to an ear 29 on the top of plate 9 so that upon upward movement ofvsaidlever, said cover 23 will be raised from its full line to its dotted line position as indicated at the left hand side in Fig. 2.

A shaft 30 is mounted in suitable bearings and disposed transversely of top 9. A worm and worm gear connection 31 are provided between shaft 15 and shaft 30 in order to drive the latter. The shaft 30 carries a cam 32 which Vcoperates with cam members 33 secured to a connecting link 34. In the device as illustrated where two popping elements are employed, the connecting link 34 operates both elements, as clearly shown.`

The end of connecting link 34 is pivoted to the outer endI of an arm 35 which carries a dog 36 coperating with a ratchet wheel 37 secured on a shaftv 38, the latter being mounted in suitable bearings carried on top 9. The shaft 38 carries a rigidly secured cam 39 which coperates with a cam member 40 secured on lever 28, so that when shaft 38y is rotated, cam 39 will engage cam member 40 and raise lever 28 to cause raising of cover 23.

Mounted above the top 9 is a hopper 41 which i's adapted to carry the unpopped corn. Said hopper is mountedV on two upwardly extending ribs or sides 42 which are parallel with each other. 1n the opening formed between the Atwo parallel sides 42 and the bottom of hopper 41 and vtop 9 is reciprocally' mounted a. plunger 43. The plunger 43 is provided with aperforation 44 and the latter is adapted to alternately coperate with a suitable opening in top 9 and one in hopper 41 to feed corn from said hopper through said top upon reciprocation l of the plunger 43. On shaft 30 is a crank arm 45 which is connected by means of a connecting link 46 with the plunger 43 to cause reciprocation of the latter. The plunger 43 is made up4 of an .end member 47 which is connected to. the link 46, and two side plates 48 which are rigidly connected to said end 47. The other ends of side plates 48 are bent toward each other and off-set,V

the off-set portions being adapted to receive a flange nut 49 which is threaded on a screw rod 50 carried by the movable end 51 of said plunger. The nut 49 is provided with a Wire handle 52 to facilitate turning the same. The arrangement is such,that upon turning nut 49, movable end 51 will be moved longitudinally -of plates 48 to increase or decrease the size of opening 42 in said plunger. Varying the size of the openmg 44 1n the plunger provides a means for feeding a greater or less quantity of corn at each reciprocation of the plunger, asl

connected` by means of a connecting link 57 with a lever 58, the latter being plvoted as at 59 to the reservoir 53 and extendingupwardly through a suitable slot in top 9. On shaft 38 is a cam 66 adapted to coperate with the upper end of lever 58 to cause rocking of the door 54 downwardly to permit emptying the reservoir. 53. The arrangement is such, that at each revolution of shaft '30, crank arm 45 will cause the reciprocation of' plunger 43 thereby dropping a quantity of cornvfrom hopper 41,'corresponding to opening 44, into reservoir 53. The ratio of rotation of shafts 38 and 30 correspond to the number of teeth on ratchet wheel 37, and upon each rotation of shaft 38, the cam 39 will cause cover 23 tq be raised and as soon as said .cam 39 passes cam member 40, the cover will be dropped and as soon as such cover is dropped, cam 60 engages the upper end of lever 58 caus ing door 54 to be opened, permitting the corn in said reservoir to be dropped onto plate 12 through a suitable opening in cover 23. rlhe number of quantities of corn which are fed by lunger 43 tothe hopper, correspond to the number of teeth on ratchet wheel 37 ,.as will be readily understood.

Positionedunder lpopping plate 12 and mounted in lugs .61 is a funnel-shaped member 62 open atits bottom and adapted to convey the corn which;- is discharged from plate 12 downwardly t a separating member. The separating member comprises a plurality of'spaced rods 63 'spaced'suicientlv far apart to prevent the popped corn from passing through them and to permit the unpopped corn to pass therethrough. Under the bars 63 is a ldischarge hopper 64` provided with a discharge pipe 65 and is adapted to receive the unpopped corn passing through said bars and Iconvey such unpopped corn through the bottom of the machine. Mounted under the bars 63 are bars 66, the latter carrying upwardly extending pointed ngers 67 which are adapted to pass between the bars 63 in order to move corn deposited on said bars toward the Havering part of the device. The bars 66 are mounted on crank arms 68 and the latter are connected together by means of cranks 69 and link 69 to cause the uniform movement of said crank arms, the cranks 69 being positioned at right angles to cranks 68 so that there can heno uead center. The arrangement is such, that upon crank arms `68 revolving, the points 67 will be moved in one direction when extending above rods 63 and in the reverse direction when under said rods, thereby moving the corn on said rods 63 only in one direction. One of the crank arms 68 is connected by means of spur gears 70 with a stud shaft 71, the latter being connected by means ofa chain and sprocket connection 72 with shaft 30, see Fig. 3. In constructing a machine having two popping elements, it is advantageous to bring the corn from both. elements to a common ilavoring element. In order to accomplish this, I connect one of the elements adapted to move thecorn on bars 63 with spur gears 70, as described, and the other of said moving elements wit-h a sprocket and chain connection 73,AV see Fig. 6. This arrangement causes the corn from both popping elements to be deposited in the same lavoring element.

Secured between the tWo sets of rods 63 is a trough 74 having a well 75 at its bottom for containing a iiavoring substance such as melted butter, said trough being removably secured to the bottom of certain of the depending supports ll, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. Mounted in the well 75 =is a spool-shaped member 76 carried by a shaft 78 connected by means of a chain and sprocket 79 with a counter-shaft 80, the latter being connected to one of the crank arms 68 by means of bevel gears 81. The trough 74 is provided with inwardly extending guide flanges or lips 77 and 77 passing between the flanges Vof spool member 76, as indicated-in Fig. 6, said flangesl being provided for the purpose of guiding the pop corn to and from said spool member. A shaft 82 is mounted immediately above trough 74 and is provided with arms 84 which pass between the flanges of spool member 76 and move the corn from said spool member through the outer end 85 of thetrough 74 to deposit the same at the bottom of case 8, a result which is assisted by the rotation of spool 76. By this arrangement, the corn is supplied with the flavoring by contact with the flanges and spindle of said spool member, as. will be readily understood.

In operation the plunger 43 is reciprocated'to move several measured quantlties of the unpopped corn into the reservoir 53, where it is preheated before being delivered int-o the popping plate. When the cover 23 is lowered, the door or gate 54 is opened and the several measured quantities of unpopped corn in the lreservoir 53 fall onto the popping plate. The popping plate is rimless throughout its periphery but the vertically movable cover has a continuous rim of substantially the same size as the plate so that,

when it is in lowered position, it prevents the escape of corn from the surface of the plate duringthe popping operation. -During the popping operation arms 22 agitate the corn and also tend to move the unpopped corn outwardly over the surface of the plate toward its periphery.

In order to preserve the freshness of popped corn it is highly desirable to remove it as quickly as possible from contact with the hot popping surface. In the present construction as soon as the cover is raised, the popped corn is quickly discharged, not from one portion only of the periphery, but from substantially all portions'thereof and passes into the funnel 62 which is of sufficient size to receive the corn from all porF tions of the periphery of the rimless popping plate. Furthermore, by extending the agitating arms to the edge of the rimless popping plate a quick discharge of the corn is facilitated and all of the corn is discharged therefrom so that it cannot interfere with the proper closing movement of the cover.

The popping element of' the device is adapted for use in roasting peanuts, coffee or the like, when so desired, by raising pawl 36 out of engagement with ratchet wheel 37 to'arrest the movement of shaft 38 and camsy 39 and 60, thereby preventing the raising the cover 23 and operation of the feeding element at their regular intervals, as described above. When the roasting operation has continued for the required time, cover 23 may be manually raised or pawl 36 returned to engagement with its ratchet wheel 37 to restore the cover 23 and feeding element to their regular operations.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification Without departing from the spirit ofthe invention. I, therefore, do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction `set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a popping plate rimless substantially throughout its periphery, a cover for hplding the corn in position on said plate, agitating means for moving the corn outwardly toward the periphery of said plate and means for relativelyshifting said cover and said plate to permit the simultaneous discharge of the popped corn from substantially all .portions of the periphery of said plate by said agitating means.

2. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a rimless popping plate, a cover of substantially the same size as said plate for holding the corn in position thereon, a rotary agitator upon the upper surface of said plate for moving the corn outwardly toward the periphery thereof and means for raising said cover to permitthe simultaneous' discharge of the popped corn from substantially all portions of the periphery of said plate by said rotaryagitator.

3. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a stationary circular popping plate rimless substantially throughout its periphery, a movable cover having a rim for holding the corn'in vposition on said popping plate, agitating means for moving the corn outwardly toward the periphery of said plate and means for lifting said cover to permit the simultaneous discharge of the popped corn from substantially all portions of the periphery of said plate by said agitating means.

4. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a stationary popping plate rimless throughout its periphery, a bodily movable.

cover having a continuous rim for holding the corn in position upon said popping plate and a rotary agitator having a series of arms extending over the surface of said plate atleast to the periphery thereof and arranged to discharge the popped corn from substantially all portions of the periphery of the plate when the cover is raised.

5. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a-stationary popping plate; a vertical shaft mounted above the center of said plate; a hub fixed on thelower end portion of said shaft; agitator arms secured to said hub and resting on and having their ends extending over the peripheral edge of said plate, said arms being disposed in lines at angles to andrearvvard of lines radiating from their inner ends; l and a cover over said plate and having its lower edge spaced above the latter providing a slot for the movement of the ends of said agitator arms, substantially as described.

6. In a corn popping machine, the combination of`a support; a popping plate having a bearing in its upper side; a vertical shaft having its lower end journaled in said bearing; an agitator fixed von said shaft and having arms extending over the peripheral edge of said plate; a cover over said plate and having a peripheral flange thereon; and arms on said support engaging said flange and spacing said cover above said plate permitting movement of the outer ends of said agitator between said cover and said plate, substantially as described.

7. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a plate rimless throughout its periphery, a bodily movable cover having a continuous rim for holding the corn in position on said plate, means fo feeding corn onto said plate through said bodily movable cover, mechanism for alternately operating said feeding means and said cover, agitating means operating over the surface of said plate' and arranged to discharge the corn from substantially all portions of the periphery thereof when the cover is raised and a shaft extending through said bodily movable cover for operating said agitating means.

8.y In a corn popping machine, the combination of a popping plate rimless substantially throughout its periphery, a cover for holding the corn in position on said plate, agitating means for moving the corn outwardly toward the periphery of said plate,y means for lifting said cover to permit the simultaneous discharge of vthe popped corn from substantially all portions of the periphery vof said plate by said agitating means and means for collecting the corn as it is discharged from said plate.

9. In acorn popping machine, the combination of a frame; a popping plate supported in said frame; a cover over said plate and adapted to slide vertically; a lever pivoted on said frame; connecting links connecting said cover with said lever; a shaft journaled in said frame; and' a cam on said shaft adapted to engage said leverand raise said cover vertically from said plate, substantially as described.

10. In a corn popping machine, the combination of aframe; a popping plate supported in said frame; a cover over said plate and adapted to slide vertically; a lever pivoted 'on said frame; connecting links connecting said cover with said lever; a shaft journaled in said frame; a cam on said shaft adapted to engage said lever and raise said cover vertically from said plate; and means operatively connected with said shaft and adapted to remove corn from said plate while said cover is raised, substantially as described.

11. In a corn popping machine, the com-. bination of a popping element; a plurality of stationary bars under said popping element and adapted to receive corn therefrom, said bars being spaced apart to permit the passage of unpopped corn but suiiiciently close to prevent popped corn from passing therebetween; and means for moving the popped corn longitudinally of said bars, substantially as described.

l2. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a popping element; a plurality of stationary bars under said popping element and adapted to receive corn therefrom, said bars being spaced apart to permit the passage of unpopped corn but sufiiciently close to prevent popped corn from passing therebetween; and fingers between said bars, mounted to move longitudinally thereof and ,adapted to move corn from said bars, substantially as described.

13. In acorn popping machine, the combination of a popping element; a plurality of stationary bars under said popping element and adapted to receive corn therefrom, said lbars being spaced apart to permit the passage of unpopped corn but sufficiently close to prevent popped corn from passinor therebetween; means for moving the popped vcorn longitudinally of said bars; and a collecting member under said bars adapted to receive unpopped corn passing through-said bars, substantially as described.

14. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a popping element; a fiavoring troughrand a spool-shaped memberrotatably mounted in said trough and adapted to engage corn discharged from said popping element, substantially as described.

15. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a popping element; a iiavoring trough; aspool-shaped member rotatably mounted in said trough and adaptedto engage corn discharged from said popping element; and rotating fingers passing between the flanges of said spool-shaped member and adapted to remove corn from the latter, substantially as described.

16. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a popping element, a plurality of stationary ybars adapted to receive corn from said popping element, said bars being spaced apart to permit the passage of unpopped corn but su-ficiently close to prevent popped corn .from passing therebetween and means for moving the popped corn longitudinally of said bars.

17 In a corn popping machine, the combination of a popping plate, a plurality of bars adapted to receive corn therefrom, said bars being spaced apart to permit the passage of unpopped corn but suficiently close to prevent popped corn from passing therebetween and agitating fingers movable upwardly and forwardly between said bars for moving the popped corn longitudinally thereof and for discharging the same therefrom.

18. In a corn popping machine, the combination of a horizontal popping plate, a

plurality of substantially horizontal bars, means for moving'the corn from said plate onto said bars, the latter being spaced apart lto permit the passage of unpopped corn but ceiving the corn from said popping element and for separating the popped and unpopped corn, said means comprising a plurality of substantially horizontal bars spaced suficiently close to prevent popped corn from passing therebetween, toothedv agitating bars operating between said rst mentioned bars for moving the popped corn longitudinally thereof, crank arms Whereon said agitating bars are mounted at their ends,l connections between said crank arms comprising additional crank arms at right angles thereto and a link connecting said additional crank arms.

20. In a corn popping machine, the combination of two popping elements, separating devices arranged to receive the corn from said popping elements and separate the unpopped corn therefrom, a common flavoring device arranged between said separating devices and means for moving the popped corn in opposite directions from said separating devices to said common flavoring device.

21. Ina-corn popping machine, the conibination of a popping elementa flavoring trough, a spool-shaped -member rotatably mounted in said trough and adapted to engage corn discharged from said popping element and a pair of fixed guide flanges arranged between the flanges of said spoolshaped member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NATHANIEL B. POST.

Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. PoTTs, ARTHUR A. OLSON. 

